Richmond Superior Court reopens after evacuation due to bomb threat

RICHMOND -- Police have determined a bomb threat that forced the Richmond Superior Court building to be evacuated Monday morning was only a scare and have reopened the courthouse, a Contra Costa Sheriff's Office spokesman said.

Authorities did not comment on the nature of the threat, to which police were alerted sometime before 9 a.m., Sheriff's Office spokesman Jimmy Lee said. The building, at 100 37th St., was evacuated as a precaution and sheriff's deputies spent more than an hour searching the building before declaring it safe to reopen at 10:15 a.m., Lee said.

Jurors were told to return to the building at 1 p.m. to resume their duties, Lee said.

A Richmond police officer at the scene said the threat came from the roommate of a military veteran. A man told police his roommate was experienced in explosives technology and had insinuated he wanted to blow up the courthouse because he disliked a particular judge, the Richmond officer said.

Rick Hurd covers breaking news. Contact him in Richmond at 510-262-2728 and follow him at Twitter.com/3rdERH.